Portable electric starter for internal combustion engine



Oct. 20, 1959 w, w eems 2,909,065

PORTABLE ELECTRIC STARTER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Feb. 7,1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l I I T Fig. 3 4

52 30 24 42 28 WM 52 E5 g r o o f 22 3 v I T I n :5

44 Fig. 2

36 William H. Wiggins INVENTOR.

9 BY uzdWwayfiMg Oct. 20, 1959 w .w. H. WIGGINS 2,909,065

PORTABLE ELECTRIC STARTER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Feb. 7,1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W ll/am H. W/ ins F/g 4 I I V ENTOR.

BY w %w United States Patent PORTABLE ELECTRIC STARTER FOR INTERNALCOMBUSTION ENGINE William H. Wiggins, Benton, 111. Application February7, 1957, Serial No. 638,878 6 Claims. (Cl. 74-8) torque is required forstarting these engines in the Wide extremes of weather to which they areexposed. In order for a starter to be satisfactory for oil field use, itmust be portable in nature whereby it may be readily transmitted to adesired engine for starting the same; must have a very high torque; mustbe of relatively light Weight in order that the same may be readilyportable; and must have some provision for operatively connecting thestarter to the crankshaft of the engine and for anchoring or retainingthe starter during its operation.

It is therefore the primary purpose of this invention to provide aportable electric starter specifically adapted to meet the abovementioned requirements.

A further object of the invention is to provide a portable electricstarter which shall be capable of operation from a convenient source ofpower such as a 24 volt storage battery unit carried by a pick up truckor the like.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a portableelectric starter wherein the frame of the starter provides a convenientmeans for carrying and transporting the same, and yet will effectivelybrace and anchor the starter during operation of the same.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view showing a conventional form of oil fieldinternal combustion engine operatively associated with an oil well pumpjack and to which the portable starter of this invention has beenapplied;

Figure 2 is an elevational view taken on an enlarged scale of theportable starter of Figure 1, the same being shown mounted in.operativesposition upon the crank shaft of an engine for starting thesame;

Figure 3 is a top plantview of the starter of Figure 2; and v Figures 4and 5 are vertical sectional views taken substantially upon the planeindicated by the section line 44 of Figure 2, and upon a somewhatenlarged scale, and showing respectively the clutch mechanism of thestarter in operative driving engagement for starting an engine and in anoverrunning released position after the engine has started.

Reference is made first to Figure 1 wherein the numeral 10 designatesgenerally any suitable form of internal combustion engine adapted foroil fields, such as for ex- 2,909,065. Patented Oct. 20,1959

ample, the well-known Fairbanks-Morse one cylinder engine, the samebeing shown operatively connected as by belt 12 with a pump jackassembly designated generally by the numeral 14. In the exampleillustrated in the drawings, the engine is mounted upon a suitablesupporting base or platform 16, it being provided with a flywheel 18secured to a crankshaft 20, see Figure 2, to which the portable electricstarter designated generally by the numeral 22 has been operativelyconnected.

Referring now primarily to Figures 2 and 3, it will be observed that theportable electric starter 22 consists of a conventional electricstarting motor 24. Conveniently, this may comprise a well-known type ofaircraft starter motor, being of a724-volt type and producing a startingtorque of about 280 lbs. A supporting frame is secured to an electricstarter for rendering the same portable and for anchoring the starterwhen the same has been operatively connected to a crankshaft of anengine for starting the latter. This supporting frame may convenientlycomprise a handle 26 which is secured to the housing of the starter 24as by brackets 28 and 30. The bracket 30 forms one fork of a bifurcatedmember 32 whose other fork comprises a bracket or plate 34 parallel tothe bracket 30. The brackets 30 and 34 are adapted to be suitablysecured to the opposite end of the starter casing from the bracket 28and serve to firmly support the same.

The member 32' has secured thereto and depending therefrom an arm orlever 36 for a purpose to be subsequently set forth.

Secured to the bracket 30 and/or to the starter housing is a supportingplate 38 upon which is mounted a switch 40 of any desired character.Electric conductors 42 connect the switch with the windings of thestarter, and with a cable 44 by means of which current is supplied tothe switch and starter. The cable 44 in turn may be connected to anysuitable source of electric current, as for example a 24-volt storagebattery assembly which may be mounted in a pick up truck or the like inan interest of mobility of the device.

'As' heretofore described, it will be apparent that when the starter hasbeen operatively connected to the crankshaft 20 of an engine, as setforth hereinafter, and electric cable 44 has been connected to a sourceof power, it is merely necessary to operate the switch 40, whereupon thestarter may be energized and will impart rotation to the crankshaft 20of the engine.

The starter motor has applied to the power output end of its armature abushing or sleeve 46 comprising a coupling for operatively connectingthe starter to the crankshaft, and with which is associated anoverrunning or overload release clutch member.

Referring now specifically to Figures 4 and 5, it will be noted that theengine crankshaft 20 has therein a recess or keyway 48. I Use is made ofthis keyway for operative engagement of the overrunnnig clutch to be nowdescribed.

The open-ended sleeve or bushing 46 is adapted to Y loosely receivetherein the crankshaft 20 and there is provided a circumferentiallyextending slot 50 in the bushing,

while a pair of apertured lugs or ears 52 rise from the opposite sidesof this slot. A clutch lever 54 is pivoted intermediate its ends betweenthev ears 52 as by a pivot pin 56 and has a clutch dog 58 adapted forpivotal movement through the slot 50 and into and out of engagement withthe keyway or recess 48 as will be apparent from Figures 4 and 5.

The operation of this starter is as follows:

When it is desired to start an engine, such as the engine shown inFigure l, the pick up truck is moved into close proximity to the sameand the power lead 44 is connected to the battery carried by the truck.Thereupon the sleeve for imparting rotation to the latter. isoperating,the increased rotation of the crankshaft 20 3 46 of the starter isengaged upon the end of the crankshaft 20, with the handle 36 of thestarter being rested upon the supporting platform 16 to thus provide ananchor or reaction member to apply the torque of the starter motor. Uponoperating the switch 40, the starter then applies torque to thecrankshaft, rotating the same a clockwise direction, as shown by thearrows 60 in Figure 4, the crankshaft rotating in the directionindicated by the arrows 62 in Figures 1, 4 and 5. Since the starterarmature, and the coupling sleeve 46 rotate in a clockwise direction,the reaction of the same upon the arm 36 tends to rotate the sleeve in acounterclockwise direction, and the abutment of the end of this leverupon the platform 16 serves to resist such rotation.

ln some instances, where the engine is so mounted that the lever 36 isnot of sufficient length to reach an abutting surface, an extension mayreadily be placed upon the end of the same as by positioning thesocketed sleeve or the like upon the end of the lever 36, in order toincrease the length of the lever as desired.

-Upon rotation of the sleeve 46 in a clockwise direction, the nose ofthe clutch dog 54 will engage in the recess 48 and thus lock the sleeveof the starter to the crankshaft When the engine with respect to thesleeve will cause the recess 48 to lift the nose 58 of the clutch dog 54as shown in Figure 5, whereby driving engagement of the starter with thecrankshaft will cease.

In some instances it may be desired to provide a spring means toyieldingly urge the clutch dog 54 and its nose 58 into an operativeengagement with the recess 48. For this purpose, as illustrated inFigures 4 and 5, there is provided a helical wire coil 64 which may belooped about .the pivot pin 56 and which has its resilient extremities66 and 68 respectively engaging the sleeve 46 and the clutch dog 54 toyieldingly urge the latter into its operative engagement.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope ofthe invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows: I 1. A portable electric starterfor internal combustion engines comprising an electric startermotor'including a housing, a sleeve driven by said starter motor andadapted to embrace the crankshaft of an engine to the starter, asupporting frame secured to the housing of the starter motor, said frameincluding a handle for carrying the starter and a solid elongated bodycomprising an arm projecting therefrom and of sufiicientlength forabutment against a surface for anchoring the starter thereto againstrotation, brackets secured to opposite ends of the motor housing andprojecting laterally from one side thereof, said handle being secured tosaid brackets and being disposed in parallel spaced relation to saidhousing, and a control switch for said starter motor supported upon oneof said brackets and upon said housing.

7 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said sleeve includes acircumferentially extending slot therein, a clutch dog pivoted on theoutside of said sleeve and movable through said slot for operativelyengaging a keyway on the crankshaft of an engine.

3 The combination of claim 1 wherein said sleeve includes acircumferentially extending slot therein, a clutch dog pivoted on theoutside of said sleeve and movable through said slot for operativelyengaging a keyway on the crankshaft of an engine, said clutch dog havinga nose adapted to engage said keyway upon operation of the starter forrotationally locking the sleeve to said crankshaft and adapted to beoverrun and released when the engine has been started and the crankshaftis rotating faster than said sleeve.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said sleeve includes acircumferentially extending slot therein, a clutch dog pivoted on saidsleeve and movable through said slot for operatively engaging a keywayon the crankshaft of an engine, a pair of apertured ears provided on theoutside of said sleeve at opposite sides of said slot, a pivot pin insaid ears journaling said clutch dog.

5. The combination of claim '1 wherein said sleeve inan engine, a pairof apertured ears provided on the outside of said sleeve at oppositesides of said slot, a pivot pin in said ears journaling said clutch dog,a spring operatively engaging said dog and sleeve and urging the doginto engagement with said keyway.

6. A portable electric starter for internal combustion engines having acrankshaft provided with a keyway, said starter comprising an electricmotor including a substantially cylindrical housing, a tubular sleevedriven by said motor and disposed coaxially at one end of said housing,said sleeve being adapted to rotatably receive an end portion of anengine crankshaft therein and being provided with acircumferentially"extending slot, a pair of apertured ears securedtosaid sleeve at opposite sides of said slot and projecting radiallyoutwardly from the sleeve, a pivot pin-mounted in the apertures of saidears parallel to the axis'of said sleeve and motor, a clutch dogpivotally mounted on said pin and projecting into said-slot whereby tooperatively engage a keyway of the stated crankshaft and impartrotationof said sleeve to the latter in one direction only, resilient means forurging said clutch dog'inwardly in said slot into operative engagementwith the stated keyway, a pair of brackets secured to opposite ends ofsaid housing and projecting laterally therefrom, a rod-shaped handleextending between and secured to said brackets at one side of thehousing in spaced parallel relation to the latter, and a lever securedat one-end thereof to one of said brackets and extending radiallyoutwardly substantially to the relatively-opposite side of-the housing,said lever having a free end adapted to abut-a stationary supportwhereby to prevent saidhousing from rotating relative to said crankshaftin a direction opposite to crankshaft rotation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSFOREIGN PATENTS France- Mar. 23, 1 926 France Sept. 19, 1930

